Goodbye 2012!

Well, 2012 is almost over – here’s a look back at what I got up to.

JANUARY

In January I started off the year working hard, coming up with a new set of characters – Look Around has been my most popular design since the first days of Cakeify so they’ve been busy all year. I also did a neon Bunny Squares pattern, got some wooden Sad Cookie brooches made and put together a free zine of my What I Wore drawings. It was also time to say goodbye to Book Hearts. I still have a few left but I expect they won’t last through 2013.

FEBRUARY

In February I had a jaunt to Boat of Garten and Cairngorm, where I parted ways with my best buddy Angel Bunny. Sadface. I also went to Portsoy and Lossiemouth and did lots of fun things there. Zazzle added a load of amazing new products to their range so I had fun times designing stuff for my shop. I also celebrated four years of freelancing!

MARCH

In March my sister came for a visit and we went to see the new Giant Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo. It was my birthday that month too and I won a cruise on Loch Lomond, which was pretty cool (and freezing), plus I got new glasses and sunglasses for the first time in years. We were all momentarily obsessed with Draw Something and I was still designing more and more crazy stuff for Zazzle.

APRIL

In April, I started my first tapestry project and I designed lots of new fabrics for Spoonflower. I was able to unveil my partnership with Deny Designs, for bedding and homeware, probably the most exciting thing that happened in 2012. I wrote a new zine, all about books, and sold it at the Glasgow International Artists Bookfair. My birthday binoculars finally arrived, starting a new hobby of staring at the Moon every time it pops up in front of my window.

MAY

In May I had a day trip to Edinburgh and spent most of a week in the Sheriff Court for jury duty. I also made a colouring book and redesigned a lot of my packaging.

JUNE

In June I finished my first tapestry and promptly started my own design. I got a new laptop, which was pretty lifechanging. Me and Claire took a road trip up to Portsoy for the Boat Festival – it was sadly cold and rainy, but much fun was had. And I decided to bring back the Zine Challenge – you can still join in!

JULY

In July I was doodling and writing, to make a new Japan zine. I also spent many dull hours colour correcting my Spoonflower fabrics after they changed the colour profile. It has made all my new designs much easier to finish though. I got a laptop case made at Zazzle, which turned out totally awesome, and decorated some of my furniture with MT tape and dots – this still cheers me up daily. And like everyone else, I got completely hooked on the Olympics.

AUGUST

In August, the world came back into balance, as I was reunited with a strangely younger looking Angel Bunny, who arrived just in time to be photographed with his likeness in tapestry. I had visits from both my parents, which included a look around the very photogenic House For an Art Lover. I did a lot of clearing out and reorganising and also designed some new fabrics and a new edition of my 5 Year Diary. At the end of the month, Etsy accused me of being a factory, which was a nice waste of everyone’s time. At least I still have my sense of humour.

SEPTEMBER

In September, my sister reached a milestone age, so we all converged Up North for some fun, including a trip up a lighthouse, a day out to Landmark and a lot of cake. I hurried home to do a zine workshop, which resulted in a free Angel Bunny comic and I also found the time to redesign my shop.

OCTOBER

In October cute little ghosts took over the shop with ghostcards, pocket ghosts and little badges. I blogged every single day and still found the time to design some new cards and calendars and collaborate on some cute cross stitch patterns with Miso Funky. Public demand got the Look Around characters available on Deny Designs, which also got me listed on Amazon – woo! I also started dressmaking again, with reasonable results, and bought some super cute fabric for future endeavours, though sadly I never had the time to continue.

NOVEMBER

In November, I started sharing my Christmas designs including our Christmas Pudding cross stitch ornament kit, which I got to have a go at. I got my commission cheque from Amazon and decided to buy a Kindle, promptly turning into the worst sort of Kindle evangelist, even though it didn’t even arrive for another 3 weeks. I also decided to stop selling zines and changed Pushpin back to just reviews for now.

DECEMBER

In December, I was really busy with packing your orders, especially the surprise craze for 5 Year Diaries in Germany . I also added some cute fabric pencil cases to the shop, the first product in a new collaboration between me and my mum. I still managed some fun though, with a day out to Edinburgh for some shopping and art, and a few days in London. I got to visit the new velodrome I’d been watching being built from my bedroom window, for the World Cup Gymnastics and also saw The Nutcracker ballet. I dug out all my cute Christmas decorations and had a fun quiet Christmas at home with more presents than I expected. And then I finished off the year by redesigning all my websites (what, that’s fun!)

A pretty good year all round really, apart from the weather which made me shelve most of my travel plans. Hopefully 2013 will be better in every way!

Hello! I'm Marceline, the creative mind behind Asking For Trouble's cute characters and products. I love Japan and have visited five times, sharing tips, guides and advice in blog posts and zines. I'm also the co-founder and editor of Super Cute Kawaii - look out for my first book, The Super Cute Book of Kawaii, in July 2019!

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Hello!

I’m Marceline Smith, the designer and owner of Asking For Trouble. I create illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using my cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii. This is my business and personal blog where I write about my creative doings, inspirations, travels, Japan trips and daily life. Read more »

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